FEMA BRIC - Denver Climate Resilience Hubs & Green Infrastructure

Project Narrative

A. Project Description

Project Title: Denver Climate Resilience Hubs & Green Infrastructure Project

Applicant: City and County of Denver, Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resiliency (CASR), in partnership with the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and Department of Transportation & Infrastructure (DOTI)

Requested Amount: $14,000,000

Project Duration: 36 months

Project Summary: The City and County of Denver requests $14 million in FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding to establish a network of solar-powered resilience hubs, deploy green stormwater infrastructure, mitigate urban heat island effects, and strengthen community-based climate preparedness in Denver’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. Denver faces a convergence of escalating climate hazards - extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flash flooding, and severe storms - that disproportionately threaten low-income communities and communities of color already burdened by aging infrastructure and environmental injustice. Colorado recorded 89 heat-related deaths in 2023, the same year Denver experienced more than 20 unhealthy air quality days from wildfire smoke. In June 2024, Denver set an all-time temperature record of 105°F. This project builds durable, community-centered infrastructure that reduces future disaster losses, protects the most exposed populations, and embodies FEMA’s principle that $1 invested in preparedness saves $6 in disaster response and recovery costs.

B. Location & Context

Project Area: City and County of Denver, Colorado (population ~715,000)

Priority Neighborhoods (ranked by climate vulnerability, social vulnerability index, and infrastructure deficiency):

• Globeville
• Elyria-Swansea
• Sun Valley
• Westwood
• Montbello
• East Colfax
• Valverde
• Northeast Park Hill
• Lincoln Park
• Barnum / Barnum West

Urbanized Area: Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area

Disadvantaged Community Status: 9 of 10 target neighborhoods qualify as disadvantaged communities under the Justice40 initiative, based on Census tract-level poverty rates, environmental burden indicators, and infrastructure investment gaps. These same neighborhoods rank highest on FEMA’s National Risk Index and the CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) within the City and County of Denver.

C. Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment

Denver faces a compounding set of climate hazards that are intensifying year over year:

Extreme Heat:

• Denver recorded an all-time high temperature of 105°F in June 2024
• The city now averages more than 20 days per year above 95°F, projected to double by 2050 under moderate emissions scenarios
• Urban heat islands in Globeville-Elyria-Swansea, Sun Valley, and Westwood measure 10-15°F hotter than tree-canopied neighborhoods just miles away
• Colorado recorded 89 heat-related deaths in 2023 - a figure that disproportionately impacts outdoor workers, elderly residents, unhoused individuals, and households without air conditioning

Wildfire Smoke & Air Quality:

• Denver experienced more than 20 unhealthy air quality days in 2023, driven primarily by wildfire smoke from regional and out-of-state fires
• The Marshall Fire (December 2021) destroyed more than 1,000 homes just 20 miles from Denver, demonstrating the wildland-urban interface risk to the metropolitan area
• Smoke exposure exacerbates asthma, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory illness at higher rates in neighborhoods with existing environmental health burdens

Flash Flooding & Stormwater:

• Denver’s semi-arid climate produces intense, short-duration rainfall events that overwhelm aging stormwater infrastructure
• Several target neighborhoods rely on combined sewer systems with documented overflow risk during heavy precipitation events
• Climate models project more intense precipitation events, increasing the frequency and severity of urban flash flooding
• The city’s Storm Drainage Fund collects approximately $115 million annually, reflecting the scale of the stormwater management challenge

Cascading and Compounding Hazards:

• Denver increasingly faces compound events - heat waves paired with poor air quality, or severe storms following drought - that strain emergency response capacity and multiply risk for vulnerable populations
• Existing emergency shelters and cooling centers are limited in number, unevenly distributed, and dependent on the electrical grid, which itself is vulnerable to extreme weather disruption

D. Project Activities & Deliverables

Activity 1: Solar-Powered Community Resilience Hubs ($6,000,000)

• Establish 6 resilience hubs in the highest-vulnerability neighborhoods (Globeville, Elyria-Swansea, Sun Valley, Westwood, Montbello, East Colfax), located at existing community centers, recreation centers, or libraries
• Each hub to include rooftop solar arrays (minimum 50kW per site) paired with battery storage systems capable of operating critical systems for a minimum of 72 hours during grid outages
• Install HVAC systems with MERV-13 or higher filtration to provide cooling during extreme heat events and clean air shelter during wildfire smoke episodes
• Equip each hub with emergency supply caches (water, first aid, charging stations, communications equipment), ADA-accessible sleeping capacity, and multilingual signage and communications
• Design hubs to serve as year-round community resources (workforce training, public health programming, after-school activities) that transition to emergency operations during hazard events
• Model: Portland, Oregon’s resilience hub network, which served communities during the June 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome when temperatures reached 116°F - hubs provided cooling, water, welfare checks, and information in neighborhoods where dozens of residents died

Activity 2: Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Flood-Prone Neighborhoods ($4,000,000)

• Install bioswales, rain gardens, permeable pavement, and detention basins in the 5 neighborhoods with the highest documented flood risk and stormwater infrastructure deficiency
• Prioritize projects that reduce combined sewer overflow frequency and volume, targeting a minimum 20% reduction in peak stormwater runoff at treated sites
• Integrate green infrastructure into street reconstruction and park improvement projects already planned by DOTI, maximizing co-benefits and cost efficiency
• Plant native, drought-tolerant vegetation in all green infrastructure installations to reduce long-term maintenance costs and support local ecology
• Install real-time stormwater monitoring sensors at green infrastructure sites to document performance and inform future investment

Activity 3: Urban Heat Mitigation - Tree Canopy & Cool Surfaces ($2,500,000)

• Plant a minimum of 3,000 trees in the 10 target neighborhoods, prioritizing streets, schoolyards, parks, and transit corridors in areas with the lowest existing canopy coverage
• Select climate-adapted, low-water species appropriate for Denver’s semi-arid environment and projected future climate conditions
• Install cool roofs and high-albedo pavement coatings on public buildings and roadways in the highest heat island zones, targeting a minimum surface temperature reduction of 10°F on treated surfaces
• Partner with Denver Parks and Recreation and the Denver Digs Trees program to ensure long-term tree maintenance and community stewardship
• Conduct pre- and post-intervention thermal mapping using aerial infrared surveys to document heat island reduction

Activity 4: Community Preparedness & Early Warning Systems ($1,500,000)

• Deploy a neighborhood-level extreme weather early warning system with multilingual alerts (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Amharic, Arabic) via text, app, sirens, and community notification networks
• Recruit, train, and equip 200 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers from target neighborhoods, with emphasis on residents who reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of their communities
• Develop and distribute neighborhood-specific emergency preparedness plans and go-kits tailored to the specific hazards facing each target area (heat, flood, smoke)
• Conduct a minimum of 2 tabletop exercises per year with city emergency management, hub operators, and community volunteers to test activation protocols
• Establish formal mutual aid agreements between resilience hubs and local nonprofits, faith organizations, and healthcare providers to extend service capacity during prolonged events

E. Project Timeline

Phase	Timeline	Key Milestones
Planning, Design & Permitting	Months 1-8	Finalize hub site selections, complete engineering design for green infrastructure, execute community engagement round 1 in all 10 neighborhoods, obtain permits
Procurement & Contracting	Months 6-10	Issue RFPs for solar installation, green infrastructure construction, and tree planting; award contracts (phased to overlap with design completion)
Construction Phase 1 - Hubs & Green Infrastructure	Months 9-20	Complete construction on first 3 resilience hubs, install green stormwater infrastructure in 3 highest-priority neighborhoods, begin tree planting
Construction Phase 2 - Remaining Sites & Heat Mitigation	Months 18-30	Complete remaining 3 resilience hubs, finish green infrastructure and cool surface installations, complete tree planting program
Systems Activation & Community Preparedness	Months 6-32	Deploy early warning system, train CERT volunteers (ongoing), conduct tabletop exercises, establish mutual aid agreements
Closeout & Evaluation	Months 30-36	Post-construction performance monitoring, thermal mapping, stormwater data analysis, community survey, final evaluation report

F. Alignment with BRIC Program Priorities

This project directly advances FEMA BRIC program priorities and scoring criteria:

1. Reduces risk to the natural and built environment: Resilience hubs, green stormwater infrastructure, and urban heat mitigation directly reduce exposure and vulnerability to the climate hazards identified in Denver’s Hazard Mitigation Plan - extreme heat, flooding, wildfire smoke, and severe storms
2. Benefits disadvantaged communities and advances equity: 9 of 10 target neighborhoods qualify as Justice40 disadvantaged communities; project design centers community voice, multilingual access, and culturally responsive programming, directly addressing the BRIC priority for Community Development and Agency Capacity
3. Incorporates nature-based solutions: Green stormwater infrastructure, urban tree canopy expansion, and native plantings represent nature-based approaches that reduce hazard risk while delivering co-benefits for air quality, public health, biodiversity, and quality of life
4. Demonstrates cost-effectiveness and future savings: FEMA’s own research demonstrates that $1 invested in hazard mitigation saves $6 in future disaster response and recovery costs; this project’s $14 million investment protects critical community assets and populations that would otherwise require significantly greater emergency expenditures during climate events
5. Builds local capacity for sustained resilience: CERT volunteer training, mutual aid networks, and the year-round programming model for resilience hubs ensure that preparedness capacity persists beyond the grant period and becomes embedded in community life

G. Demonstrated Local Commitment & Sustainability

Denver has made substantial investment in climate adaptation and emergency preparedness:

• Denver Climate Action Task Force (2020): Adopted an 80x50 Climate Action Plan with specific resilience and adaptation goals
• Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resiliency (CASR): Dedicated city office with full-time staff focused on climate resilience, including heat mitigation and emergency preparedness
• Storm Drainage Fund: Collects approximately $115 million annually from ratepayers for stormwater infrastructure - available as documented local match and evidence of sustained funding commitment
• Denver Digs Trees Program: Existing partnership with The Park People to provide free trees to Denver residents, demonstrating community-level engagement infrastructure
• Office of Emergency Management (OEM): Maintains Denver’s Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA-approved), coordinates emergency operations, and manages the existing CERT program

Sustainability Plan: Resilience hubs will be integrated into Denver’s existing recreation center and library operating budgets for ongoing staffing and programming. Solar arrays and battery systems reduce utility costs and generate long-term savings. Green infrastructure maintenance will be incorporated into DOTI’s standard asset management program funded by the Storm Drainage Fund. CERT volunteer training will be sustained through OEM’s existing community preparedness programming. The project is designed to operate in perpetuity after the grant period without additional federal funding.

The requested federal investment of $14 million, matched against the Storm Drainage Fund’s $115 million annual collection alone, represents a minimum 8:1 local match ratio - demonstrating that Denver is not seeking federal funding to replace local investment, but to catalyze a resilience infrastructure network that the city will own, operate, and maintain with existing revenue.

Budget Summary

Category	Amount	% of Total
Solar-Powered Community Resilience Hubs (6 sites)	$6,000,000	43%
Green Stormwater Infrastructure	$4,000,000	29%
Urban Heat Mitigation (tree canopy & cool surfaces)	$2,500,000	18%
Community Preparedness & Early Warning Systems	$1,500,000	10%
Total Federal Request	$14,000,000	100%
Local Match (Storm Drainage Fund, CASR, OEM budgets)	$115,000,000+	-
Total Project Investment	$129,000,000+	-

Note: BRIC requires a minimum 25% non-federal cost share (75/25). Denver’s local match far exceeds this threshold. The Storm Drainage Fund contribution alone provides documented, dedicated local revenue. Additional in-kind contributions from CASR, OEM, Denver Parks and Recreation, and community partner organizations further strengthen the match.

Expected Outcomes

Metric	Baseline	3-Year Target
Resilience hubs with backup power & clean air capacity	0 operational	6 fully operational
Residents within 15-minute walk of a resilience hub	~5% in target neighborhoods	~70% in target neighborhoods
Grid-independent emergency shelter capacity (hours)	0 (grid-dependent)	72+ hours per hub
Peak stormwater runoff at treated sites	Current baseline	20% minimum reduction
Combined sewer overflow events in treated areas	Current frequency	30% reduction
Tree canopy coverage in target neighborhoods	8-12% (vs. 20% citywide avg.)	15-18%
Surface temperature in cool-surface treatment zones	10-15°F above canopied areas	10°F reduction on treated surfaces
Trained CERT volunteers in target neighborhoods	~50	200+
Residents enrolled in multilingual early warning system	Limited coverage	50,000+ in target neighborhoods
Heat-related emergency room visits in target areas	Current baseline	25% reduction

Key Data Sources

All data sourced from the Denver For All Emergency Preparedness & Climate Resilience policy analysis. Primary sources include:

• FEMA. (2019). Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2019 Report - $1 invested in mitigation saves $6 in disaster costs
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. (2024). Heat-related mortality data, 2023 season (89 deaths statewide)
• City and County of Denver, CASR. (2020). Denver 80x50 Climate Action Plan
• City and County of Denver, OEM. (2023). Denver Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA-approved)
• National Weather Service. (2024). Denver all-time record high temperature, June 2024 (105°F)
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. (2024). Air quality monitoring data, 2023 wildfire season (20+ unhealthy days)
• Boulder County. (2022). Marshall Fire After-Action Report - 1,000+ homes destroyed, December 2021
• City and County of Denver, DOTI. (2024). Storm Drainage Fund annual report (~$115M annual revenue)
• Multnomah County, Oregon. (2022). June 2021 Heat Dome After-Action Report - Portland resilience hub operations
• CDC/ATSDR. (2024). Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) - Denver Census tract data
• FEMA. (2024). National Risk Index - Denver county profile

How to Use This Template

This grant proposal template is designed for city staff, council members, and community advocates to adapt for an actual FEMA BRIC application:

1. Check the current BRIC cycle on the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) portal and review the current Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for any changes to priorities, scoring criteria, or cost-share requirements
2. Coordinate with Denver OEM as the lead agency for FEMA hazard mitigation grants - BRIC applications must be submitted through the state (Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, DHSEM), not directly to FEMA
3. Update hazard and vulnerability data using the latest Denver Hazard Mitigation Plan, FEMA National Risk Index scores, and CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index data for Denver Census tracts
4. Refine resilience hub site selections in consultation with CASR, Denver Parks and Recreation, and Denver Public Library to confirm facility availability, structural suitability, and community support
5. Develop a Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) - FEMA BRIC requires a BCA demonstrating that project benefits exceed costs; use FEMA’s BCA Toolkit and document avoided losses from heat mortality, flood damage, emergency response costs, and infrastructure replacement
6. Confirm cost-share documentation - prepare letters of commitment from the Storm Drainage Fund, CASR, OEM, and partner agencies documenting the non-federal match
7. Add required federal forms including SF-424, budget narrative, Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) screening, and any required NEPA documentation
8. Engage community partners early - BRIC scoring favors applications with documented community support; secure letters of support from neighborhood organizations, health providers, and environmental justice advocates in target neighborhoods

Questions or want to collaborate on this proposal? Contact Denver For All or email your council representative.